Cruelty and Gryffindors
by alicewonder26
Summary: She's a loner. He's the hero of their world. She can't imagine he would be as cruel as they are, but will he prove her wrong?
1. Chapter 1

She entered the Great Hall with her head bowed low. Her dark hair hung in thick waves, obscuring her face. Those dark eyes were focused on the ground, avoiding even the stares of her housemates. Her green trainers padded softly on the stone floor heading directly towards her destination. The green and silver serpent on her robes caught the light as she pushed her food around on the golden plate. She drank her tea and rose, heading anywhere but the too loud hall.

She passed her housemates and ignored the conversation that flowed around them. She had no interests of boys and school drama. The only change in her demeanor was when she passed his table. Her footsteps increased, and her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Time seemed to slow as she allowed herself one glimpse of him. He sat surrounded by admirers, mostly girls. She sometimes wished she could speak to him. But even as she pictured herself speaking with him, her throat closed up and her words disappeared.

As she passed him, their eyes met for a moment. Dark brown locked with piercing green in a moment that for her, stood still. He opened his mouth and for a brief second, she thought he was going to speak to her. Her heart soared at the thought but quickly fell hard into the pit of her stomach as one of the girls sitting near him sneered her way.

"Stare much?" A cold smile spread across her lips and a glare entered her eyes.

Tears filled her dark eyes, and she felt the beginnings of a blush make their way across her face. She quickened her steps and breathed a sigh of relief as she exited the Hall. She fought the tears that threatened to escape, but it was useless as she rounded the corner. They made salty tracks down her face as she determinedly walked past her Transfiguration class.

She rounded corners, sidestepped students and traveled up and downstairs until she reached her destination. She bit the inside of her cheek, the pain holding her tears in check as she paced in front of the blank wall. Only when she was secure and safe inside, did she let the tears fall. She tasted blood in her mouth, tangy and metallic as she cried. The tears seeped down her face, and her sobs echoed in the empty room. Sliding to the floor, she sat upon the cold stones and cried until her tears turned to soft hiccups.

She pushed her dark hair behind her ears and mentally kicked herself as she felt a mixture of embarrassment and shame overtake her. Why was she so quick to tears? Was she not a Slytherin? She was supposed to be cold-hearted in her pursuit of ambition, and showing emotion was for Gryffindors. Her cheeks grew hot with shame. She could have said something, anything. She rested her forehead in her hands, her skin hot and clammy against her cold fingers.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She wasn't supposed to cry. She needed to draw on her inner snake and strike back when it wasn't expected. To show them... What? What would she show them? Her lips trembled and tears filled her eyes again, but she bit fiercely down on her lips, fighting the tears away.

The bell clanged, startling her out of her thoughts. She'd missed Transfiguration. Annoyance filled her as she realized that the Headmistress would likely have a word with her head of house since she was absent. Professor Snape would not be happy. Her legs were numb as she rose off the stones. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she left the room and headed for her next class, Potions.

She adored Potions. Given that most of the other houses either hated or feared her head of house, it was the only class in which she found a little peace. She let her guard down as she entered the cold dungeons. The laughter that escaped the room as she entered made her heart stop as she followed the sound to its source. Her eyes widened as she spotted him again. Surrounded by his fan club, she couldn't help the sneer that crossed her features a moment. Potions with the Gryffindors was always one she dreaded.

Gryffindors were so brash, so predictable. And given he was one of them, the girls swooned and fawned over him as he brewed his potions and took notes. It was never quiet when they were here. A soft smile crossed her features as she remembered one of her favorite parts of having potions with Gryffindors. They always got plenty of points taken away from in any given class. As long as she could find a table the farthest away from him and his fan club of girls, she could survive.

Her hopes were quickly dashed as she spotted the only empty table. It was right next to his. Trying to fight the blush that rose in her cheeks, she set her bag down and kept her eyes focused on her head of house. He sneered at the class as he explained the potion they would be working on. As usual, he demanded perfect work, except the Gryffindors. She couldn't help but chuckle along with her housemates at that thought.

She pushed her hair behind her ear as she gathered ingredients and delicately cut and chopped. The steam that rose from her cauldron made her cheeks bright with color and her eyes sparkle. Class slipped past easily as she brewed another perfect potion. Her posture straightened as Professor Snape strode through the rows of students. He dropped compliments on the Slytherins and sneered at the Gryffindors.

Finally, he reached her row. He glanced down at her potion, which simmered gently and she saw a genuine smile cross his features a second. After rewarding her points for a perfect potion, he passed her to sneer at his potion. He took points away just to show he could and dismissed them but not before requesting three feet of parchment on the potion and the properties it possessed. A groan from the Gryffindors reached her ears and the soft smile that tugged across her face made her happy for a brief second.

The bell rang, and she gathered her sample. As she set it gently down on his desk Professor Snape startled her out of her thoughts.

"I need you to stay a moment." His voice betrayed nothing as he kept his eyes on the potion samples on his desk.

She watched as he followed him with his eyes a moment. He waited until he was almost out of the room before he spoke, startling her again.

"Potter. A moment if you please." That sneer that always appeared on his face crept through his tone as he spoke.

He walked to the desk, standing beside me. I kept my eyes on my head of house wondering what he could possibly want with me.

"Miss White, I need you to tutor Mr. Potter in the exact art which is potions. I am tired of potions being turned in that are substandard or worse reading essays that sound like they were written by Miss Granger." Professor Snape kept his words curt and to the point, making it quite clear a refusal wasn't optional.

I still held out hope, hope that was dashed as he added, "The headmistress wishes you to do this in lieu of the detention she wanted to assign you for missing class this morning."

I stared at him, unwilling to believe I was supposed to do this. Finally, he glanced up at us where we both stood opening and closing our mouths in our surprise and waved his hand towards the door. It was a clear dismissal.

I let my feet carry me out the door and to the Hall for lunch. How was I going to work with him? I watched as he strode past me, anger evident in his features. He wasn't happy about this either. Maybe this would be good. Maybe this would give me the chance to get to know him.

Hope bloomed anew in my chest as I passed his table on my way to lunch. But as I crept by his crowd, invisible as usual my ears picked up on their conversation.

"He did what?" That same female voice carried surprise and disdain as she stared at him.

"He told her she had to tutor me in potions. It was clear she couldn't say no and I couldn't either." His voice carried his disbelief and his anger at the potions professor in his tone.

"But her? Why would you even want to work with her? She's a loner. She hasn't got any friends." The sneer was evident in the speaker's tone yet concern filled their face as they leaned in towards him.

It was his voice that surprised me. For when he spoke, I felt something break deep inside of me.

"I know. Why would I want to associate myself with someone like her?"

I glanced at him over my shoulder, and I spotted the sneer that filled his features. His eyes were clouded over with dislike and annoyance. A sneer spread across his lips. The girls laughter rang in my ears and our eyes met again. This time, it was hard to hide the tears that by now streamed down my cheeks and fell in large drops onto my robes. The color rose in my cheeks and my lips trembled as I stood motionless in the patch of sunlight. I couldn't even feel its warmth that spread through my robes.

Something else passed in his eyes as he stared at me. I'm not sure what it was. But I clutched my bag to my side and sprinted from the hall, yearning for the comfort of the room. I didn't even make it inside when I fell to the cold stone floor, my fingers over my lips to stifle the sound of the sobs that wrenched their way through my throat. I was a fool to think he was any different than the rest of them.


	2. The next day

**AN: This was just something that my muse pushed me to finish. I might have an idea for a third and final chapter, but we'll see what happens. As always, I am not JKR, so I don't own Harry Potter. Enjoy!**

In the days since I broke down just outside the Room of Requirement, I had come to a decision regarding the tutoring. I knew there was no way to get out of it, Professor Snape made that quite clear. I had to face him, whether or not he actually wanted to spend time with me. I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom that morning, determined to make sure they didn't get the best of me today. I swept my hair up into a ponytail, curled the ends and after tightening the laces on my trainers, I headed down to the Great Hall.

I rolled my eyes as I entered, spotting him surrounded by his usual crowd. My steps didn't falter as I made my way to his table. The crowd of girls surrounding him grew quiet at my approach, and each one fixed me with a glare. While those glares would have made me feel embarrassed before I had long decided to ignore them. I was a Slytherin for a reason.

Harry kept talking, ignoring my presence behind him. "So, I figure if I don't go to tutoring, I can still pass Potions on my own to keep my spot on the team."

I let out a soft chuckle, earning more glares from the girls surrounding him. My ponytail swished back and forth as I shook my head. "I don't think that's how that's going to work ."

Harry turned to face me, an indifferent expression on his face but a challenge in his eyes. "Oh really?" He quirked an eyebrow, "And why's that?"

I folded my arms across my chest and let a soft grin overtake my features. " I happened to speak with the Headmistress yesterday regarding our tutoring. I asked what would happen if, for some unknown reason to me, you failed to show up."

Harry pushed his body back from the table, choosing to stand. He was much taller than I was, and he looked down at me with those eyes of his. I was almost pulled back in but held myself back at the last minute. "And what's going to happen? Nothing. She wouldn't risk losing the Captain of the team right before our crucial match against Slytherin."

I stepped forward bravely, my voice quiet and low. Harry had to lean his head closer to hear me speak. "But that's where you are wrong. I asked her, and she told me if you failed to show up for any reason, you would be benched. For the rest of the season."

I could see the barely unchecked anger in his emerald eyes as he stared at me. The entire Hall had grown quiet, watching us.

I stepped back from him, adjusting the strap of my bag. "I expect you to show up at the library later this afternoon at 2 pm. If you don't, then I expect to see Slytherin win the House cup as well as the Quidditch cup."

I turned and walked out of the hall to the snickering of my fellow Slytherins. Even though I was considered a loner in my own house, we never missed a chance to knock those Gryffindor's down a few pegs. I knew they would enjoy my little show this morning. As I walked out of the hall, I didn't notice Hermione Granger watching me with an interested expression on her face.

I watched Quinn White walk out of the Hall, her bag swinging gently over her shoulder in time to her hips. Her fellow housemates were snickering as she left. Harry had a murderous look in his eyes, and the simpering girls he was always surrounded with instantly tried to calm him down. I shared a look with Ginny before rising and leaving the Hall.

I followed her down the halls until she reached the library. Quinn chose one of the study rooms and shut herself up in them. I wasn't sure if she would follow through with her threat of telling the Headmistress if Harry didn't show. After I waited at one of the tables for a while, it was almost curfew. Quinn left the library with a determined look in her eyes. I followed her to the office of Minerva McGongagal.

Breakfast the next morning was quiet. The owls flew in softly, dropping letters and one letter dropped onto Harry's plate. He was so caught up in the attention of the girls he was with, he didn't notice at first. Just as he was about to drop some scrambled eggs on his plate, he noticed the letter. He opened it, his eyes following the script. His eyes widened and his face grew red as he reached the bottom.

"White!" His voice carried loudly in the Hall, and the silence that descended was quick. Every eye was drawn to where Quinn sat at the Slytherin table. She calmly sipped her tea and ate her breakfast, seemingly oblivious to Harry's loud shout. She kept her cool even as he walked toward her.

Any other student would have quaked to see Harry before them, angry as he was. It didn't take a genius to see she'd followed through with her threat. She pointedly ignored him as she finished her breakfast. She slipped her bag over her shoulder and tossed a soft smile to Draco Malfoy, who was staring at her. Along with the rest of the Hall.

Quinn walked towards the large doors of the Hall and stopped as Harry called her name again. "White? Didn't you hear me?"

It was interesting to see the differences between the two. Harry's face was bright red, his hands shaking as they balled into fists at his side. His eyes were wide and full of anger. Quinn was the opposite. She was the essence of calm. Her hair was flowing down her back in soft curls, and her dark eyes were soft and gentle. It was hard to read her, but then again, she was a Slytherin. They were almost always hard to read.

She raised an eyebrow, "I think there were people a few miles away who didn't hear you, Potter."

Soft snickering rose from the Slytherin table at her words. Gryffindor's were different. Some glared, out of support for Harry and others snickered. It wasn't a secret that Harry had let the fame go to his head a bit. He'd pushed both Ron and me away in the months after the war, and had even broken up with Ginny, claiming he was too important to be tied down to one witch.

Harry's voice was laced with anger as he spoke, " You actually spoke to the Headmistress? I've been benched for the remainder of the season unless I attend tutoring with you."

Quinn's voice was calm as she spoke, "I told you I would, did I not?

It was interesting to watch her calmly stare him down at his obvious anger. She glanced down at her skirt and calmly flicked a piece of lint to the stone floor below.

Harry was obviously too angry for words, and his face grew even redder at Quinn's calm manner.

Quinn turned away, her hair swinging softly as she walked away from Harry and out of the hall.

Her voice was clear, "I expect to see you in the library."

As she disappeared from view, the Slytherin's soft chuckling gave way to loud laughter. It was interesting to note that even Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's had joined in. Harry stood stock still in the doorway of the hall, his face still quite red, and a dumbfounded look on his face as he turned to face his fellow peers. When he noted several Gryffindor's doing the same, he scooped his bag up and left the hall quickly.

I had managed to keep my cool as I headed for the library, choosing a room in the back as I waited for him. I knew he'd show up. And sure enough, he did, though he wasn't happy about it. He sent me glares and was silent as I pulled out my Potion's book.

"So, where are you exactly struggling?" I slipped the book closer to him and he pointedly ignored it.

We sat in silence for the required hour and he rose quickly leaving the room as if I had a contagious disease. Clearly he wasn't going to make this easy for me. But if he wouldn't take the tutoring I was going to give him, then he'd fail his exams, and still wouldn't be allowed back on the team. The ball was in his court. I just wondered how far he would let his pride lead him before he fell flat on his face... again.

I walked away from the library still fuming with anger. I waved away the girls that usually surrounded me and headed outside. I needed fresh air. I needed to be away from people. I headed outside, far away from the castle and girls and Potions tutors.

As I made my way over to my favorite spot near the lake, I saw someone was already there. I let out a large groan. This day couldn't get worse, could it? As I walked closer, intent on telling whoever was there to go away, I started to recognize certain features. Dark curls flowed down her back as she leaned against the tree. The Slytherin crest on her robes was also a dead giveaway. Quinn.

Not wanting to deal with her right now, I reached in my bag until my fingers slipped over the silky fabric of my invisibility cloak. I pulled it out and without a second thought, slipped it over me. As I got closer, she wasn't alone. Shock flooded my system as I saw her talking to Hermione. I crept in quietly, curious as to what they were saying.

Hermione was speaking as I walked up, " So, why did you go to the Headmistress?"

Quinn's voice was soft, " I had two choices. Knuckle under and just ignore him, or report him. I knew that eventually he would get benched from the team for his poor grade in Potions, and then he'd blame me for not helping him like I was supposed to. Better to report him now and deal with the backlash."

I glanced over at Hermione and heard her chuckle, " Yeah, that's probably what would have happened, although, Harry's been surrounded by so many simpering girls lately, he's not used to being told no."

I heard Quinn laugh, "That sounds about right."

They were silent a moment, and Hermione spoke, "Truth be told, I haven't spoken to Harry in a long time. He changed a lot after the war and pushed away his oldest friends in the process. I don't understand this new Harry. The old Harry wouldn't have ever behaved like this."

Quinn was silent, her eyes staring out over the inky waters of the lake. "Sometimes war can change us for the better, and sometimes it can change us for the worst. While I don't presume to know all the facts, I know Harry lost a lot of people close to him. Maybe this is his way of dealing with the loss. He had to be strong for so long, he doesn't trust anyone to be his shoulder to cry on."

Hermione nodded, "You're probably right."

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch and Hermione grabbed her bag. "You coming to lunch Quinn?"

Quinn shook her head, her curls sliding over her shoulders. "No. I think I'm going to stay here awhile. I don't want any more scenes in the Hall. You go ahead."

Hermione gave her a soft smile, "If you need to talk, I'm here."

Quinn nodded and Hermione began the walk to the castle for lunch. I stood in my spot, watching her walk away for a moment before turning my attention back to Quinn. She reached into her bag and pulled out a worn notebook, flipping through the pages absentmindedly while she stared at the Lake.

A soft grin lit up her features as the Giant Squid's tentacles rose from the lake. She stopped at a page near the back, her eyes following the print a moment before she pulled her quill out and began writing. The sound of her quill on the parchment was oddly soothing, and I began to feel uncomfortable standing here watching her. Something felt wrong.

As quietly as I could, I walked back to the castle, shedding my cloak and stuffing it in my bag. My stomach churned as I remembered how rude I had been to her recently. She hadn't warranted that behavior from me. And she was right if she had just let it slide I would have been benched anyway, and would have blamed her.

As I neared the doors of the castle, I realized I had two choices. I could continue treating Quinn horribly, or I could turn over a new leaf and rebuild the friendships I had neglected since the end of the war. I stood in the door to the Hall and a pang of loneliness swept through me as I watched Ron and Hermione talk. I missed them. We had been friends since we were 11. I couldn't be the selfish boy I had let myself become. I needed the strength of my friends. I needed to make things right with not just my two oldest friends, but Quinn as well. But how?


End file.
